★ ★ ★ ★
Meg Pickup’s true life account of disastrous dating and poor family relations is delivered with such theatrical precision that it puts our big commercial theatre companies to shame. Playing God is a pitch perfect example of the scope of a monologue. It could sit with Shirley Valentine or Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. Although we are in verbatim territory, it still has the same beats of a well plotted drama.
Meg’s lamentations of the horrors of men, potential STI’s and the perfect Spotify playlist for bonking makes for great comedic fare, but it sets us up for a real emotional punch in the second half. The segue into her troubled relationship with her mum, further complicated when this distant and difficult parent becomes terminally ill, is achieved with raw honesty. I found the pace incredible. Playing God is around 45 minutes, but Meg doesn’t rush her story, it has purposeful gaps that allows us time to process and be truly part of her world. Serafina Kiszko’s direction is understated and never puts a foot wrong.
Grief and loss is at the heart of this show, something of a theme in the new work that has come to the fringe in 2022. Many have noticed that the arts reaction to the pandemic has been to talk openly about one of the most fundamental aspects of our lives. Meg’s Playing God is an honest examination of grief, difficult mothers and our need to be loved.
Playing God Greenside @ Riddle Court – Clover Studio 15:00 (45m) Aug 5-13, 15-20, 22-27 £12-10
